Tuesday, December 25, 2012

As
part of our 125th Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co.
we are sharing a year of floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31,
2013. Each day we will post something new on our Facebook page to share
our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating
our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing
some simple lessons in floristry.

﻿

Jingle Bell Poinsettia

Day 51 – Poinsettias are the best selling potted plant in
the U.S. & Canada, with California being the top U.S. Poinsettia-producing
state. Poinsettias are the most popular Christmas plant, with most of them
being sold with a six-week perios leading up to the holiday. It is estimated
that women account for 80% of Poinsettia sales.

﻿

Purple Poinsettias

Day 52 – Blue and purple poinsettias have been all the
rage at our shops this year and many have asked how they are available in these
nontraditional hues. To color their holiday crop, growers use colorants not toxic to plants
and a fast-drying solvent that won't burn or discolor the poinsettia bracts. Sometimes
glitter is added before the solvent evaporates for a bit of holiday sparkle.

﻿

Poinsettia bracts turning white

Day 53 - Poinsettias are one the most difficult plants to reflower after
the initial display when purchased. Poinsettias need a period of uninterrupted
long, light-free nights for about two months in early spring in order to
develop flowers.

﻿

Pink Poinsettia

Day 54 – In Nahuatl , the language of the Aztecs,
the Poinsettia was called Cuitlaxochitl
(from cuitlatl, for residue, and xochitl, for flower), meaning
"flower that grows in residues or soil." The Aztecs used the
poinsettia leaves to dye fabric and the sap for medicinal purposes.

﻿

Christmas Eve Miracle Poinsettias

Day 55 - A Mexican legend explains how Poinsettias came to be associated
with Christmas. Apparently, a child who could not afford a gift to offer to
Christ on Christmas Eve picked some weeds from the side of a road. The child
was told that a humble gift, if given in love, would be acceptable in God's
eyes. When brought into the church, the weeds bloomed into red and green
Poinsettia flowers and the congregation felt that they had witnessed a
Christmas miracle. Merry Christmas to you and yours!!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

As
part of our 125th Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co.
we are sharing a year of floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31,
2013. Each day we will post something new on our Facebook page to share
our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating
our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing
some simple lessons in floristry.

Poinsettia Greenhouse

Day 46 - The colors of Poinsettia bracts are created
through "photoperiodism", meaning that they require darkness (12
hours at a time for at least five days in a row) to change color. On the other
hand, once Poinsettias finish that process, the plants require abundant light
during the day for the brightest color.
﻿

Monet Twilight Poinsettia

Day 47 - There are over 100 varieties of Poinsettias
available. Though once only available in red, there are now Poinsettias in
pink, white, yellow, purple, salmon, and multi-colors. They have names like
'Premium Picasso', 'Monet Twilight', 'Shimmer', and 'Surprise'. The red
Poinsettia still dominates over other color options. 'Prestige Red' ranks among
the best-selling hybrids.
﻿

Joel Roberts Poinsett

Day 48 - Poinsettias received their name in the
United States in honor of Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant into
the country in 1828. Poinsett was a botanist, physician and the first United
States Ambassador to Mexico. He sent cuttings of the plant he had discovered in
Southern Mexico to his home in Charleston, South Carolina. The word Poinsettia
is traditionally capitalized because it is named after a person.

Poinsettia Sap

Day 49 - Poinsettias are part of the Euphorbiaceae or Spurge family.
Botanically, the plant is known as Euphorbia
pulcherrima. Many plants in the Euphorbiaceae
family ooze a milky sap. Some people with latex allergies have had a skin
reaction (most likely to the sap) after touching the leaves.Day 50 - Paul Ecke Jr. is considered the father of
the Poinsettia industry due to his discovery of a technique which caused
seedlings to branch. This technique allowed the Poinsettia industry to
flourish. The Paul Ecke Ranch in California grows over 70% of all Poinsettias
purchased in the United States and about 50% of the world-wide sales of
Poinsettias. As of August 2012, the Ecke Ranch, which was family-owned and
operated for nearly 100 years, announced that it had been acquired by the
Dutch-based Agribio Group.
﻿

Monday, December 17, 2012

As
part of our 125th Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co.
we are sharing a year of floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31,
2013. Each day we will post something new on our Facebook page to share
our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating
our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing
some simple lessons in floristry.

﻿

Hemiparasitic Mistletoe

Day 41 - Mistletoe is especially interesting
botanically because it is a partial parasite (a "hemiparasite"). As a
parasitic plant, it grows on the branches or trunk of a tree and actually sends
out roots that penetrate into the tree and take up nutrients. But mistletoe is
also capable for growing on its own; like other plants it can produce its own
food by photosynthesis; however, it is more commonly found growing as a
parasitic plant.

Day 42 - Kissing under the mistletoe is first found
associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive
marriage rites. They probably originated from two beliefs. One belief was that
it has power to bestow fertility. It was also believed that the dung from which
the mistletoe would also possess "life-giving" power. In Scandinavia,
mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a
truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up. Later, the eighteenth-century
English credited with a certain magical
﻿

Mistletoe

appeal called a
kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing
under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and
ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained
unkissed, she cannot expect not to marry the following year. In some parts of
England the Christmas mistletoe is burned on the twelfth night lest all the
boys and girls who have kissed under it never marry. Whether we believe it or
not, it always makes for fun and frolic at Christmas celebrations.

Red Poinsettia

Day 43 - The showy
colored parts of Poinsettias that most people think of as the flowers are
actually colored bracts (modified leaves). The yellow flowers, or cyathia,
are in the center of the colorful bracts. The plant drops its bracts and leaves
soon after those flowers shed their pollen, so for the longest-lasting
Poinsettias, choose plants with little or no yellow pollen showing.

﻿

Poinsettias are NOT poisonous

Day 44 - Despite rumors to the contrary, Poinsettias
are not poisonous. A study at Ohio State University showed that a 50-pound
child would have to eat more than a pound-and-a-quarter of Poinsettia leaves
(500 to 600 leaves) to have any side effects. The most common side effects that
have been reported from Poinsettia ingestions are upset stomach and vomiting.
The leaves are reportedly not very tasty, so it's highly unlikely that kids or
even pets would be able to eat that many! But be aware that the leaves can
still be a choking hazard for children and pets.

﻿

﻿﻿﻿﻿Day 45 - In nature, Poinsettias are perennial

flowering shrubs that were once considered weeds. Poinsettias are not
frost-tolerant. They will grow outdoors in temperate coastal climates, such as
Southern California beach communities. In the ground, they can reach 10 feet
tall.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

As part of our 125th
Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co. we are sharing a year of
floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31, 2013. Each day we will post
something new on our Facebook page to share our knowledge of our favorite
things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating our blog every 5 days or so.
No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing some simple lessons in
floristry.

Reviving Roses

Day 16 –If your roses begin to wilt, you may
be able to revive them. Trim off about an inch from the bottom of its stem and
then submerge the entire rose under water in a sink or bathtub. Allow the stem
to absorb water for about 20-60 minutes before returning them to their vase.

Opening Roses

Day
17 - Roses last longer in a cool area, but if you want their blooms to open
quickly, temporarily place them in a warmer spot (Note: not hotter than 80
degrees Fahrenheit). This is great for when you want them looking their most
beautiful, perhaps for an evening dinner party ;)

﻿

Beware Toxic Flowers and Plants

Day
18 – Households with pets can pose a bit of a challenge when selecting which
flowers and plants to keep around. Some pets may be tempted to munch on a few
leaves, and while many plants will cause nothing more severe than mild
digestive upset should they be ingested by pets, some can cause more serious
health issues. Toxic to both cats and
dogs are Tulips, Azalea, Bird of Paradise, Aloe, Begonias, Baby's Breath, and
Amaryllis. Members of the Lilium genus,
including Easter and stargazer lilies,
can cause serious kidney problems if ingested by cats. Keep these things
in mind when selecting your flora to keep your fauna happy :)

﻿﻿

Poinsettia Care

Day 19 - Even though we associate poinsettias with the
mid-winter holidays, they're actually a tropical plant and need to be kept away
from drafts and cold. Too chilly temperatures can cause their colorful leaves
(called bracts) to drop. Keep their soil moist and allow it to dry out only
slightly in between waterings. Encourage new blooms by pinching off spent
blossoms and adding plant fertilizer when it's actively growing new buds or
leaves. Poinsettias can also be cut from the plant and used as cut flowers.
When you cut a stem, a milky-white sap flows from the cut end. Place the stem
in water immediately to allow it to hydrate before mixing it with other
flowers.

Pet Friendly Flowers and Plants

Day 20 - What is a pet friendly bouquet? It is a bouquet
consisting of plants and flowers that are not considered to be toxic to pets
(primarily cats and dogs). Flowers such as roses, African daisies, and orchids
and plants such as bromeliads, African violets and Christmas cactus are
non-toxic (although any ingested plant material might occasionally cause mild,
self-limited vomiting) and would be suitable as to have in households with
pets.

We are captivated by the beauty of flowers every day. This blog is dedicated to the moments when we are completely enthralled with the joy of flowers. Thank you for partaking in these moments with us.

Your authors are the expert designers and staff of Stein Your Florist Co. and Steins at Sunset Florist. Formed in 1887 in Philadelphia, PA, Steins is the city's oldest florist and has been named Philadelphia's Favorite Florist. Our vision is to share our love of flowers with the world, while maintaining socially and ecologically responsible practices.

Flowers make the moment... Let us make a moment for you at Stein Your Florist Co.